


Flashbacks of Earth

by Groot_Is_God



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Childhood Memories, Earth, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Memories, Panic Attacks, Post-Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Pre-Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 21:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14798490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Groot_Is_God/pseuds/Groot_Is_God
Summary: Finally, they came to a planet Peter recognized immediately. Above the picture in large letters he read the word Earth. A flood of memories instantly swirled in his mind, coming to the surface.





	Flashbacks of Earth

**Author's Note:**

> This story has mentions of panic attacks and triggers so if that triggers anyone you might want to skip this one! Also, this is how my panic attacks work so don't come telling me it's unrealistic cause I think I can describe my own attacks pretty well.
> 
> Prompt is #504 from The Fake Redhead at thefakeredhead.com

“So, where to next?” Peter called out to the other guardians. They had just finished a mission on Korlax, a planet not far from the star Alpha Centuri. Peter knew he had heard that star name before, but his log had no mention of being near it in the past, so he shook the feeling off.

“I don’t care, as long as we get away from this fucking planet.” Rocket growled, shivering in a blanket Groot had draped over his shoulders. Rocket had been doused in icy water during their mission and he was not pleased at all.

“Give me a second, pulling up a list of nearby planets.” Gamora reported, her fingers rhythmically hitting buttons on the keypad. “Ah, here we go.” She breathed, looking up at the holograph in front of them.

They scrolled through planets, a reason for not going to said planet being brought up for each one. Drax didn’t want to go to Gliese because he had gone there with his wife and daughter at one point and it brought up too many memories. Rocket had an aversion to going to Luhman as he and Groot had been arrested there once for stealing _something_ (Rocket wasn’t very clear on that the something was).

Finally, they came to a planet Peter recognized immediately. Above the picture in large letters he read the word Earth. A flood of memories instantly swirled in his mind, coming to the surface. Him and his mother, lying on the grass listening to her favorite music. Eating ice-cream with his mom and grandpa. And a few other happy memories floated through until the bad ones began streaming in. His mother receiving her cancer diagnosis. None of her treatments working. His mom, lying in her hospital bed, handing him a present. She was asking him to hold her hand, and he refused, turning away from her. A long, shrill beep as she flatlined. Nurses rushing in, Peter crying out to her, trying to fight his way to her. All he could hear in that moment was her calling his name. It persisted as memories continued to stream into his mind, wave after wave.

Finally, Peter realized he wasn’t imagining someone calling his name. Someone was actually calling him.

“Peter?” The voice pleaded, full of worry. Peter shook his head in an attempt to shake away the feelings, but vertigo came instead, making him feel lightheaded. His chest hurt, and he was breathing with great difficulty.

“Peter, you need to breathe.” The voice commanded. Peter noticed a hand on his shoulder, keeping him upright. He allowed himself to breathe in unison with the voice, who was guiding him. Slowly his vision began to clear, and he noticed he was now sitting unsteadily in a chair. Gamora was in front of him, talking to him, her voice full of apprehension and worry. The strong hand on his shoulder belonged to Drax, his big black eyes staring uncertainly at his friend.

Peter, who was now feeling mostly normal, only small traces of unsteadiness and vertigo remaining, shoot off Drax’s hand. He hated the feeling of being babied, and even though his friends were only trying to help, it was only going to make it worse.

“What the hell just happened Quill?” Rocket inquired, a look of alarm and concern written across his face. He had ditched the blanket in an effort to better see what was happening to his friend.

“I- I don’t know.” Peter admitted. “Sometimes this, this, this just sort of happens.”

“Is that normal for a human?” Drax asked quietly.

“I- I don’t know, I never thought to ask anyone when I was around other humans for 11 years.” Peter snapped back. He knew it was wrong to take out his annoyance and anger on Drax, who hadn’t done anything to deserve it, he had done the exact opposite, but the guy had sort of set himself up for it.

Drax quietly ignored the Starlord’s outburst. Normally, he would have wanted to fight the man, but he knew that his friend was not fully functioning at the moment.

“I think you were experiencing a panic attack Peter.” Gamora hesitated. She didn’t know much about human tendencies, but after a similar episode when she was alone with Peter, she had done some research. “Typically, something triggers an attack.” She added, “Do you know what happened right before it started?”

Peter sat still for a moment, thinking. He looked up at the hologram at the front of the ship and remembered what he was looking at before the memories started.

“Go back a planet.” He directed.

His friends looked uncertain of this idea, not wanting to cause another attack, but Peter was persistent. Rocket reluctantly went back a planet and Earth’s picture once again filled the screen. Peter flinched looking at the picture, his breathing becoming unsteady once again. Gamora’s eyes darted back to him, and she put her hand on his shoulder.

“I am Groot.”

“Yeah, your right buddy, it was the picture.” Rocket agreed, glancing back at Peter.

Once he had his breathing under control, Peter looked up, bracing himself this time. Gamora’s hand tightened around his shoulder, and Peter glanced at her face.

“Sorry, sometimes the Earth is hard for me to look at, I guess.” Peter offered as an explanation.

“Well, we’re definitely not going there if it’s the place someone as messed up as you came from.” Rocket mused, earning himself a glare from Gamora. He made a motion as if to say ‘ _What? It’s true…_ ’ and then turned to program the Milano away from the planet.

“Are you okay now, my friend?” Drax asked. His eyes still looked worried, but Peter could see that the rest of the worry had dissipated from his body.

“I think so.” Peter affirmed. He felt in control of his body now, which was reassuring.

“You need to tell us next time this happens.” Gamora warned him, “Or else I will hunt you down and make you regret not telling us.”

“I will.” Peter replied, nodding. He knew Gamora wouldn’t really hunt him down, it was just her way of telling him she wasn’t joking. It felt good to know the other guardians had his back.

Rocket had picked out a planet, far away from Earth, and the Milano started its journey towards it. Peter got up from where he had been put and sat next to Rocket, settling into his chair. Everything seemed to be back to normal, or at least as normal as it could be around the Guardians of the Galaxy.

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't meant to be as long as it was... oops! Hope y'all enjoyed it!
> 
> Find me and my other stories as well as a place to put prompts on my tumblr at groot-is-god.tumblr.com
> 
> Hope y'all have an amazing morning/day/night wherever you are!


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